Sachamama
.]] : Country reported: The sachamama (Quechuan: "mother of the earth") is a cryptid reported from the vian Amazon, described as an enormous snake with a snail-like shell and horns.Eberhart, George (2002) Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to CryptozoologyShukerNature: SACHAMAMA - A SNAKE IN A SHELL? Description Maximo Inuacari described it as resembling a huge black cylinder and leaving a 1600 foot long, 30 foot wide trench in its wake. Luis Iluma described it as a having a long black snake-like body bearing a shell-like structure in the middle of its back, a muzzle, two tentacles like elephant trunks, and two 3-ft-long 'ears' on its head. George Eberhart gives its length as 132 feet and its width as 15 feet. According to folklore, the sachamama appears only very rarely, and can remain in a state of torpor underwater for many years. When it wakes, however, it can suck prey into its mouth from quite a distance, but cannot pursue prey through the jungle because its progression is impeded by its large shell. Sightings Undated There are examples of ceramic pots and saucers from Peru's ancient Moche culture, dating back over 1500 years, which depict a large black snake- or slug-like beast with tentacles and a conch-like shell on its back. Explorer Arnost Vasícek also documented some 16th Century examples of Peruvian pottery depicting a very similar animal, which also sported a forked tongue and two pairs of snail-like, bulbous-tipped feelers, ne pair at the base of its snout, and the other pair at its snout's tip. Nelly Armos and Carlos Quinto collected local folklore on the sachamama. A 19th Century missionary named de Vernazz claimed to have shot a sachamama which was over 45 feet long and 6 feet thick while boating on the Pastaza River bordering Peru and Ecuador. 1997 On 14 August 1997, villagers in Nueva Tacna near Iquitos heard a loud rumbling sound reverberating from a patch of jungle, as if something large and heavy were roaming through it. Maximo Inuacari, sitting in his boat on the Napo River nearby, began to paddle away, and as he did so a 'monster' emerged from the jungle onto the shore behind him, having uprooted many trees and gouged a 1600-ft-long, 30-ft-wide trench during its noisy progression towards the river. When it finally made it to the river it created a whirlpool which sunk several boats. At least one other man, Luis Iluma, saw the animal, and the destruction left in its wake was photographed. The military was called in by the mayor to survey the damage.Michaels, Denver ''Colossal Snakes of the Amazon Theories Peruvian radio networks suggested that "foolish locals" had mistakenly identified heavy construction machinery as a monster, but local authorities quickly pointed out that the dense jungle of the area does not allow access to such large equipment."Monster Boa Size of Two Buses Reported by Terrified Village" Reuters, 20 August 1997 Some have speculated that the events of 14 August could be explained by floodwater, a wind vortex, or an earthquake. Peruvian scientist Nixon Reugifa agreed, but recanted after more eyewitness testimonies came to light and revealed the path of destruction to be far too selective to be explained by a natural disaster. None of the fishermen recalled feeling any sensation of wind movement during the incident. Karl Shuker notes that, if the sachamama is real, it is unlikely to be a snake due to its shell and its "tentacles". He cautiously speculated that it may be a gigantic species of mollusc. Another possibility is that it is a form of gigantic long-necked turtle similar to the mata-mata. Similar cryptids *Giant anacondas, reported from across the Amazon and northern Argentina. *The minhocão, an enormous burrowing snake-like animal with armadillo-like scales, reported from the Central Amazon and Central America. Notes and references Category:Cryptids Category:South America Category:Peru Category:Snakes Category:Molluscs Category:Theory: New species